Date source: 2026-08-09
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Consumer Goods
New rules implemented to promote the repair of your faulty devices Published on August 10, 2026 - Service Public / Direction of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Manufacturers now have the obligation to repair your damaged products at a reasonable cost and quickly, when possible, including outside of warranty. This obligation particularly concerns smartphones, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators. Service Public presents the new rules in effect.
Image 1 Credits: Grustock - stock.adobe.com
The provisions of the European directive 'aiming to promote the repair of goods' have been applicable since July 31. This text aims to extend the lifespan of consumer products.
Now, if you choose to repair a consumer good, whatever it may be, rather than replace it, during the 2 years of its legal warranty of conformity, you benefit from an extension of one year of this warranty (previously 6 months).
If a seller forces you to replace a good rather than repair it, the legal warranty is renewed for 2 years from this replacement.
New repair rules applicable after the expiration of the legal warranty of conformity After the expiration of the legal warranty of conformity, a right to repair is now established for certain categories of 'technically repairable products'. A list of these products is established at the European level; it will be updated annually. Currently, this list includes a dozen consumer goods, including:
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digital tablets;
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refrigerators;
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dishwashers.
In case of malfunction or damage affecting a product in these categories, the manufacturer must offer a repair; and you can therefore demand it from them. This repair obligation applies for 5 to 10 years after your purchase, depending on the product and the spare part concerned.
This repair outside of warranty is not free, but it must be carried out at a 'reasonable price'; and the repair deadlines must also be reasonable.
Manufacturers must make it easy for you to access contact information for their repair services; they can, for example, provide these details on their website or within the product's user manual. In addition, they must inform you, on a freely accessible website, of indicative prices for the most common repairs.
A manufacturer may refuse a repair if it is 'impossible'. The European Commission notes in a 'FAQ' (currently available in English only) that the notion of 'impossible repair' is not defined in the directive. It is however specified that a manufacturer cannot invoke this notion for purely economic reasons, such as the cost of spare parts. They cannot also refuse a repair solely on the grounds that a previous repair was carried out by a third party (another repairer, the consumer themselves, etc.).
The European Commission indicates that in case of dispute, it is up to the competent authorities and courts of the Member States to determine whether the repair in question is impossible.
The repair obligation applies to manufacturers from all EU countries; sellers may be required to comply with this obligation in exceptional circumstances (for example, for products from manufacturers outside the EU for which there is no representative or European importer).
It is also planned in 2027 to establish, in each European country, a digital platform allowing you to find an appropriate repairer, a seller of refurbished products, or even participatory repair initiatives.
In France, you can already use the platform 'Épargnons nos ressources', from the Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe), to find a repairer; this platform also provides you with 'repair tutorials' to put your devices back in working order when possible.
Legal texts and references
See also
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Purchase of a product: legal warranty of conformity Service Public
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Right to repair: consumers will now be able to repair their products more easily European Commission
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Goods repair directive European Commission
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Repair your devices: a right in Europe European Commission
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Source: Service-Public for individuals